Don't Believe The Hype

....about this stuff.

Skincare

1. Nuxe Aroma Perfection cleansing gel and moisturizer

Total rip-off. Very expensive products that didn't do anything for my skin. They are supposed to cleanse and revitalize the skin while their active natural ingredients nourish the dermis and leave it soft and clean, etc, the entire story cosmetics marketing says. The moisturizer is meant to control oiliness while hydrating and diminishing imperfections. Whereas the gel didn't change anything in the condition of my skin, the moisturizer caused me an allergic reaction-super itchy, huge red spots on the cheeks, forehead and chin. I'm not allergic to anything as far as i know so it must have been a weird reaction. I threw the lotion away and kept the wash gel...for my makeup brushes. Ha!

2. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

My mistake, because i didn't pay attention to the 'Skin Protector' description under. According to the reviews on Makeupalley many many fellows were sucked in and got it all wrong. This is a vaseline-based skin protector that is supposed to leave a (greasy) film wherever it's applied and not sink in and do anything to your skin. Major and shameless marketing move, if you ask me. I do the same thing with my Vaseline for a tenth of the price (or less). It's not THEIR fault, it's mine, i get it. However, big disappointment because it rubbed off incredibly fast, smelled like crap and didn't do too much for me. Tisk tisk Elizabeth Arden..


Foundation primer

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Primer

This was the worst thing that has ever happened to me, The Biggest Failure of the Century. Seriously. First, it was very expensive (around 40 euros). You get quite a lot of product but the consistency is a little runny so it doesn't last a long time. The smell really put me off- it reeked of plasticine, of industrial chemicals. I have no idea what made it smell so. It wasn't just my tube, it was the primer itself (Makeupalley says). Did not perform accordingly, it basically didn't do anything for my skin. It didn't sink in pores, didn't make the foundation 'glide on', didn't help it stay on longer and it most certainly didn't give a matte finish that lasted. I could feel my skin cracking underneath and both the concealer and foundation looked extremely dry and unnatural. This product is marketed for skintones ranging from normal to extremely oily since it's supposed to work gently and provide all-day long fresh-looking foundation; therefore mixed complexions should benefit from it, too. To me it was definitely an overrated product.

Foundation

1. Chanel Vitalumiere

Where do I begin :) I purchased this after all the raving reviews and video about it. I have combination skin that never gets exceedingly oily so i usually don't have problems with it (foundation slipping off-wise). I got tricked by the 'dewy finish' promise, the 'natural' coverage and the 'healthy glow' effect. Pardon my language but this is one of the crappiest foundations on the face of the earth. I had mine in Shell/Cendre, which is the only positive thing about it-it matched my skin perfectly, and it all stopped there. Close-to-zero coverage (intended for someone with perfect skin perhaps?), major oiliness and it just faded off after a couple of hours. In disbelief, i tried it two days in a row and the same thing again- it basically rubbed off (i assume) the atmosphere (i didn't touch my face nor rub it against anything) because i don't know what else could have caused such a mysterious vanishing. It sat on top of my skin and made it look oilier than usual. Perhaps it would have looked a lot worse if the foundation had stayed on for as long as Chanel promises, so there's the 'perk' with this. I swore off it and would absolutely never recommend this to anyone (though the talented Pixiwoo swears by it, it just didn't work for me). I love Chanel products but this is a major flop.

2. MAC Full Coverage

Hahaha! This little pan tortured the hell out of me for MONTHS because it just resisted application. I tried everything, from wet/dry sponges to brushes, beauty blenders, fingers, dabbing, rubbing, anything and everything. It just didn't work. It creased into the small lines, settled in the pores, looked completely artificial and plasticky with a chalky finish. Plus that it was a much lighter shade-NW20, courtesy of the makeup-savvy SA (i'm NW35). Grrreat. I had it on my vanity for several months then threw it away since it was a reminder of my little financial cul-de-sac &failure. Bummer.

Eye Shadow

Clinque Color Surge Duo in 'Like Mink'
My problem was the high price and lack of pigmentation. It all snowballed from the rubbing of the brush into the pan-tiny particles of eyeshadow flying everywhere, dryness, chalkiness etc. The color didn't transfer properly on my lids, instead of getting something remotely similar i got purple-ish eyes. Bleh.

Mascara

1. Too Faced Lash Injection

A terribly overrated mascara. It is expensive and dries out quickly, numero uno. Two, it clumps like crazy after a mere two weeks (or even less) from having been open. Three, it did lengthen my lashes at the cost of terribly sticky and spidery lashes. I also noticed the staying powder- basically zero. It smudged on both my upper&lower lid, not to mention how difficult it was to take it off. I was losing 4-5 lashes every time i removed it; threw it away without second thoughts. Highly NOT recommended. RUN, girls, run!

2. Rimmel Sexy Curves
A rather blah mascara. I know many people like it, it just didn't work for me. The nozzle is too thin for the roundness of the brush (the three little 'balls') so the wand can't pick up enough product; halfway through combing my lashes i could feel them crack and notice significant dryness. It worked like an 80's hairspray for the lashes. It lengthened a little only because i was really working it. I just wouldn't make my poor lashes go through that ordeal again. It's quite unpleasant since i am a huge Rimmel London fan and their mascaras have always been great; i suspect the weird brush and the narrow opening of the tube. They should've created a thinner plastic stopper and none of this would have (probably) happened.

3. L'Oreal Collagen Effect

I found out too late that this is one of those mascaras that need a bit of oxygen exposure to do their best. I threw it away :(. What i mostly disliked about this was the runny formulation and the ink-like consistency- too thin, too messy to apply. The bristles are way too hard and quite long, they scratched my lids and my lashes were sticking together in small clusters. Hated it, but if i ever get one of these again, i'll probably give it another chance.